This offseason has been cold and boring and bad. Everyone has expressed a version of that sentence about a million times. I have also expressed a version of that second sentence about a million times. We might all die here. We don’t know. That’s fine. Spring training is rolling around now, and I’ve spent most of the winter months pleading with baseball gods to impart baseball methadone by way of blockbuster trades or free agent signings.
The Rangers might sign Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract
Sunday’s Say Hey, Baseball deems Colon “Touchdown Bartolo” and regrets nothing/everything.
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So now we’re at the part of a movie about being stranded on a desert island where you’ve given up on deciding whether you should drink your own pee because, hey, why bother? The only baseball news to really talk about besides the potential of owner collusion or angry agent Twitter press releases is that the Rangers are close to signing Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. Maybe.
Bartolo’s age is no well-kept secret. In 20 years, he’s played for 10 teams and beaten all of them while accruing a 2005 Cy Young and four All-Star appearances. Even in 2017, his worst year yet, he became the oldest AL pitcher to win a complete game since Nolan Ryan. When he hit his glorious first home run — the kind that rattles souls — with the Mets in 2016, he was the oldest to do so. Approaching his age-45 season, should Bartolo make it out of Round Rock, he could end up among the oldest MLB pitchers to throw a game. In spite of all 43 years behind him, he threw to a 3.43 ERA and 2.8 WAR as recently as 2016.
Last season though, that ERA all but doubled to a career-worst and the WAR ended up a fraction of its 2016 glory. Thinking Colon’s last appearances in the game might come in the Rangers farm system with players half his age is fair. It’s also fair to think he might bounce around the minors like he did in the bigs before he says his final goodbyes. But Steamer has him projected at a 5.02 ERA in 90 innings and as underwhelming as that might sound, there is no doubt a market for veteran spot starters. Plus, who in their right mind would count out Touchdown Bartolo?
- It’s hilarious Miami thought Jeffrey Loria might actually share profits with the county. Oh, Miami, sweetie, no ...
- If reports are to be believed, the Brewers aren’t pressed on signing any of the pitching talent still on the market. I guess Milwaukee can’t light a hot stove by itself, other teams.
- The Blue Jays won their arbitration case against Roberto Osuna???
- You might notice that instead of this section being filled with news or analysis of big trades heading into the final weeks before spring training, it has news of arbitration cases. Hm, I wonder why that might be.
- Hmm, again, no idea why the free agent market is so cold.
- If you’ve ever wanted the experience of getting ripped off for a jersey without being out $110, our friends over at Lookout Landing have got you covered.
- When it comes to the White Sox DH in 2018, the call is probably coming from inside the house. Because probably no one is ever going to sign a free agent again, and it’s fine. Everything is fine.
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